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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — certain
  10. pop — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — a measure
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com